Catching Stardust
by exoticwings
Summary: Lady Aeris is weak, her body decaying slowly as illness ravages her. Because of this, she has become an outcast, frowned upon in all of Asgard for holding a weak constitution. But with her childhood friends beside her, perhaps it is not too late to find a cure. Loki x OC.


**author note: **This story takes place prior to the events that occur in Thor (2011). With that being said, enjoy and let me know what you think. c:

**Chapter One - Autumn Leaves**

_"Will you weep, Aeris?"_

_"Yes, Aeris—do weep for us."_

_The stones were hot as they hit against her skin, her small feeble body screaming and reeling with pain from each blow. Her eyes watered, an action she often had the strength to fight but found herself vulnerable against in this moment. It wasn't something out of routine for Aeris, to be crumbled to the floor, dress muddled in the dirt and shoulders shaking with sob after sob as the lot of tall boys loomed above her. Sometimes they held sticks, which they slapped against her bare arms and left large red welts, other times they had rocks which they rained upon her until her skin was darkened and yellow from bruising. And some days they need not a single weapon, using the sheer force of their kicks and punches to knock the wind from Aeris' already weakened lungs._

_Another strike, a small pebble, chimed against her temple. An explosion of heat surged through her head and with it more tears. They flowed and cascaded down her chubby, childish cheeks._

_"S-Stop!" She managed a small cough of a plea, but it went unheard. Another rock collided with her head._

_She could feel the ground beneath her tip and swirl, her body feeling so far away—out of reach, as if it had been whisked away by the sands. Her fingers dug into the earth, a useless motion to steady herself. To keep herself planted and awake._

_"Look boys," one of them chimed. "she finally cries!"_

_The glee in his voice make Aeris' stomach churn. She felt sick and heavy, her lids weighted and her mouth dry. The boys around her laughed, a cruel and twisted sound that would ring in the girl's ears for years after, becoming the melody to her nightmares as she tried to fight herself asleep._

_"Weak women do not belong here." Another stepped forward, closer to her, before crouching before her. He reached for her hair, fingers entwining with her dark locks, and gave her head a sharp yank. She yelped, the pain bringing bits of black and shadows to the corner of her vision. He only snickered at her, eyes dark and lips pulled into a sinister grin. "Why don't you go ahead and die already."_

_He gave her a sharp kick to the head, her neck giving a hiss of a snap as it met his boot. He laughed, then gave motion to the others and they left, trailing behind him like in a pack. The pain was numbing, coming in short waves and throbbing aches. Aeris made no effort to move, allowing herself a moment to breathe and rest. Her vision was blurry and jagged, and she knew it was only a matter of time before her body gave in. But she fought it none the less—far more fearful of what the boys would do if they found her unconscious body abandoned than what fighting the sleep would do to her already broken body._

_She whimpered and pressed her face into the dirt, the small pebbles digging into the pad of her cheek. She made no effort to move despite the uncomfortably._

_"You really should ask Thor to teach you how to fight." _

_The familiar voice brought no aid, no comfort. Instead it brought a fresh flash of red hot anger. _

_"How long have you been standing there, Prince Loki?"_

_"Long enough to see you shed tears. Why is it you allow them to see you weep? Surely giving them what they ask for it going to provide no aid to you in the end." She heard him move from behind her, and she could imagine the young boy stepping out from the shadows. He was always too good at concealing himself in the darkest corners._

_It was his feet she saw first, clad in leather boots that wound tight up his calf—halting right before the dip of his knee. He crouched and his face, features sharp and eyes hallow, entered Aeris' field of vision. "They will only continue to bother you until you fight back."_

_She sighed, letting her eyes shut. "You were there the whole time, but made no thought to help me?"_

_"You did not call for my help." _

_Sometimes Aeris wished Loki was not so clever—more like Thor who was brute and rash. _

_"Would you like me to help you back to your room?" _

_Aeris nodded, cheek scrapping against the earth. "You'll probably have to carry me."_

_His arms were thin but they held the strength of an Asgardian as they slipped under Aeris' form. She rolled into the crook of his hold as he hoisted her into his chest. She glanced up at him, offering a small thank you of a smile, before allowing herself to curl into his chest, nose against the rough fabric of his tunic. She inhaled the sharp scent that was Loki—mint with a touch of musk, as if he had just finished rolling in a pile of autumn leaves, and allowed herself to relax. Soft breaths met her lungs, each intake in sync with the small flittering beat of the young boy's heart. She smiled, to herself and in a way where the mischief god would not see, before letting the shadows overcome her vision and sweep her away._

_This time, she would have no nightmares. Only dreams of boys who hid in trees and collected leaves with fragile fingers._


End file.
